At 2020 Uniceramics Expo, sintered stones and thick tiles became two mainstream products. Ceramic players such as Newpearl Ceramics, Monalisa Tiles, Nabel Ceramics, Inoi Ceramics, New Jincheng Ceramics, Sanfi Ceramics, Grifine Ceramics, etc., and ceramic equipment and material producers exhibited products related to  sintered stone as well. In addition, Fujian ceramic producers including Mingsheng Ceramics, Baoda ceramics, Wanli ceramics, Xiejin ceramics, Guoxing Tiles, Meiyitao Ceramics, and Goodoor ceramics mainly presented high-quality thick tiles with sizes of 200×600(mm) to 900×1800(mm) and thicknesses of 18 to 25 (mm), as well as a variety of processes. 

Quanzhou is the main production region of Fujian Province, and ceramic producers in Quanzou have started to switch fuel from coal to natural gas since 2008, while the other ceramic producers in Fujian are still using water gas. They have devoted to their long-lived and sustainable development, and finally achieved success by seizing the opportunity of producing thick tiles.  

Fujian ceramic producers keep trying to find their ways

In 2008, Fujian implemented the project of switching fuel from coal to gas in the ceramic industry, numbers of ceramic producers converted producing exterior wall tiles to glaze porcelain tiles, which were more profitable and can offset the high cost of the coal-to-gas switch. Unfortunately, the price of glaze porcelain  tiles dropped very soon, and it has driven companies to produce wood tiles. Again, the price declined, and they started to produce small and medium-sized thin slabs, whose price also fell later. Finally, they placed their hope on the new product, medium-thick ceramic slabs, but still failed in the competition with producers in Gaoan production region of Jiangxi Province.  

When the market of exterior wall tile experienced a significant decline in 2017, Fujian ceramic producers started to produce ceramic columns, which could compete with marble pillar. To a certain extent, the popularity of ceramic column drove the sales of exterior wall tiles, however, the market share of this kind of product is limited as it is mostly used in rural area.

Over the years, Fujian ceramic producers had been striving to look for a best way for their development. And when the exploitation of natural stone was restricted, thick tiles and sintered stones became popular, Fujian ceramic producers seized the opportunity of producing thick tiles as an alternative material for paving stone, which became their competitive products. 

When the thick tile market was opened up and it became more and more popular, Fujian ceramic producers noticed that the market of it was not yet saturated, and high-speed railway stations, urban sidewalks, commercial pedestrian streets, parks, plazas, and exterior walls are all places where thick tiles are needed. And then it attracted more and more Fujian ceramic producers to produce thick tiles, including those struggling to make a living. Thick tiles, as an alternative material for paving stone, became the hottest product produced in Fujian.

Fujian ceramic producers survive in the competition with Foshan and Gaoan

Since last year, a large number of thick tile producers in Fujian such as MingshengCeramics, Meiyitao Ceramics, Goodoor Ceramics, etc., have been enjoying the prosperity of development and the number of thick tile production lines has been increasing. According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 40 thick tile production lines in Fujian. Thanks to the good sale of thick tiles, Fujian ceramic producers survive in the competition with the production regions like Foshan and Gaoan.

As thick tiles and sintered stones become more and more popular, Fujian cermaic enterprises have won most of the thick tile market. A large number of exterior wall tile enterprises in Fujian have cooperated with real estate developers for a long time and they have accumulated the rich resources in the project channels, therefore, thick tiles were sold directly to real estate developers. What’s more, given thick tiles can replace natural stones in some projects, natural stones dealers in Shuitou (a center for nature stone trade in China ) started to purchase thick tiles as an alternative. With all these advantages, Fujian strengthened its dominant position in the market of thick tiles.

In the future, relying on the large market of Shuitou, as well as the new customers developed in Xiamen  International Stone Fair and Shuitou Stone Fair, Fujian thick tiles will obtain a bigger market and the production will also be further expanded.

This is the 402th issue. 

Editor: Sara, Erica